Chapter 1646
So, Arthur said in a gentle tone, "Would you buy a pack of Doral then?"
Marshall had never heard of that cigarette brand, but he agreed anyway, "Sure."
He grabbed his jacket, turned to Stella, and asked, "Stella, do you want anything?"
Stella shook her head, "No, thank you."
Her tone sounded polite but somewhat distant. There was a clear hint of disappointment in Marshall's eyes as he spoke softly,
"All right. I'll be back in a minute."
"Mhm," Stella responded.
After Marshall left, Arthur said to Stella, "Stella, stop working and come sit with me for a while."
Stella wiped her hands and walked over, feeling somewhat nervous. Arthur patted the doorstep and said, "Come, sit here."
Then, Stella sat down next to Arthur.
"What happened to that kid from the Kane family? Did you guys get into a fight?"
Stella initially thought Arthur would ask her about Albert. But to her surprise, he asked about Keegan instead.
After coming down from the mountain, Stella had been
trying hard to hide her emotions. However, Arthur's question caught her off guard, and her tears began flowing.
Arthur had lived so long and could easily see that something was wrong.
When Marshall brought Stella, who was having a fever, over to his house, he had already guessed that something was not right.
But he just did not expect things to be that way.
He reached out and wiped away Stella's tears gently, "It's okay, dear. Crying can make you feel better."
However, Stella did not cry for long. She wiped away her tears and spoke hoarsely, "Great Grandpa, I'm leaving tomorrow.
Keegan hasn't returned, and I've got to protect his hard work and his family. I can't stay here for too long."
Arthur nodded and patted the back of her hand, "I'll take you to the bus station tomorrow then."
Stella lowered her gaze and said after a long pause, "Great Grandpa, I'm not a descendant of the Jewell family. I'm not
biologically related to Albert Jewell."
As Albert's grandfather, it was impossible for him not to know about what had happened to Albert. So, Stella guessed that he
was probably unaware she was not Albert's daughterjudging from how well he treated her.
Arthur was the only person who treated her genuinely in the Jewell family, so she did not want to hide the truth from him.
Arthur kept quiet, and the atmosphere turned heavy. Stella had mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen.
She figured that Arthur would not scold her, but he would be very disappointed.
After a long pause, Arthur finally spoke, "Are you saying that you won't come here anymore? You won't visit this old man ever
again since we're not biologically related, is that right?"
Stella was taken aback and immediately denied it, "Of course not. I just think I'm in no place to make you treat me so well
anymore."
She figured Arthur only treated her so well because they were biologically related. Since it was proven that they were not related
at all, she dared not take advantage of Arthur's affection anymore.
Then, Arthur said, "Actually, whether you're Albert's daughter or not has nothing to do with me.”
Stella was puzzled. 'What does he mean?' she wondered to herself.
Then, Arthur started talking about the past.
He was not originally from Jorgeville. He and Stella's greatgrandmother, Evelyn Thornfield, were from out of town.
They had known each other since childhood. Arthur's family was very poor, so he joined the army just to feed himself, which took
him away for three years.
When he returned, he had saved some money. Although he could not be considered rich, it was enough for him to start a family
in his hometown.